Buddhist coin charm

Last updated
Japanese Buddhist numismatic charms depicting two different Bodhisattvas. Chinese numismatic charms - Scott Semans C19.jpg
Japanese Buddhist numismatic charms depicting two different Bodhisattvas.

Buddhist coin charms are a category of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese numismatic charms that depict Buddhist religious imagery or inscriptions. These coin charms often imitate the design of Chinese cash coins, but can exist in many different shapes and sizes. In these countries similar numismatic charms existed for Confucianism and Taoism, and at times Buddhist coin charms would also incorporate symbolism from these other religions.

Contents

Chinese Buddhist coin charms

Chinese Buddhist numismatic charms (Traditional Chinese: 佛教品壓勝錢; Simplified Chinese: 佛教品压胜钱; Pinyin: fó jiào pǐn yā shēng qián) are Chinese numismatic charms that display Buddhist symbols of mostly Mahayana Buddhism. These charms can have inscriptions in both Chinese and Sanskrit (while those with Sanskrit inscriptions did not appear until the Ming dynasty), [1] [2] these charms generally contain blessings from the Amitābha Buddha such as coins with the inscription ē mí tuó fó (阿彌陀佛).

Temple coins often had inscriptions calling for compassion and requesting for the Buddha to protect the holder of the coin. Most temple coins are small. Some of them contain mantras from the Heart Sūtra . Some Buddhist charms are pendants dedicated to the Bodhisattva Guanyin. Common symbols are the lotus which is associated with the Buddha, and the banana which is associated with Vanavasa. Less commonly, some Buddhist charms also contain Taoist symbolism including Taoist "magic writing" script. There are Buddhist charms based on the Ming dynasty era hóng wǔ tōng bǎo (洪武通寶) but larger. [3] [4] [5]

Hongwu Tongbao charms

A Hongwu Tongbao (Hong Wu Tong Bao ) charm or amulet which is 119 millimeters in diameter that depicts an ox (or bull) on its reverse alluding to the simple life of Zhu Yuanzhang before he became the Hongwu Emperor. Hung Wu T'ung Pao charm - John Ferguson 01.jpg
A Hongwu Tongbao (洪武通寶) charm or amulet which is 119 millimeters in diameter that depicts an ox (or bull) on its reverse alluding to the simple life of Zhu Yuanzhang before he became the Hongwu Emperor.

Chinese numismatic charms with the inscription "Hongwu Tongbao" (洪武通寶) are common however those with graphic depictions of the life of Zhu Yuanzhang only began to appear after the Xinhai revolution overthrew the Qing dynasty and established the Republic of China in 1912, this was because casting or having in one's possession a "coin" which showed the life of a Chinese emperor during the imperial period would lead to them facing almost certain death. However, as the threat of punishment for circulating these charms disappeared in 1912 they became more commonplace. The reason why Hongwu Tongbao charms and amulets became very popular with the Chinese masses is because these amulets represented the hope that those who come from less than fortunate beginnings may grow up to become the Emperor, this was because Zhu Yuanzhang was born to an impoverished peasant family, his parents died while he was very young, became a beggar, later found employment as a shepherd boy, and eventually moved to live in a Buddhist monastery. [3] As he saw the injustices the Chinese people were suffering under the rule of the Yuan dynasty he joined the red turban rebellion and through his own ability managed to lead the rebellion and restore Chinese independence from foreign rule establishing the Ming dynasty with himself as its Emperor Taizu. [3] This story inspired many commoners to believe that they and their offspring could amount to become successful despite their own humble beginnings, for this reason Chinese charms and amulets that carried the inscription "Hongwu Tongbao" became very popular and many of these usually depict either a part of or the entire aforementioned story. [3]

Hongwu Tongbao charms depicting a young boy playing the flute. Hongwu Tongbao charms with a young Zhu Yuanzhang playing the flute - Scott Semans 01.jpg
Hongwu Tongbao charms depicting a young boy playing the flute.

Usually these Hongwu Tongbao charms and amulets are a lot bigger than actual Hongwu Tongbao cash coins for example being 69 millimeters in diameter. However many of these charms and amulets need to be big because they depict very complex scenes of symbolism on their reverse sides. For example, a large Hongwu Tongbao charm may feature a lamb and an ox on its left side symbolising how Zhu Yuanzhang was born into a very poor family of peasants, a Buddhist monk seated on a lotus throne above the square center hole symbolising how he lived in a Buddhist monastery in his youth, next to this Buddhist monk are other Buddhist symbols such as "auspicious clouds" (祥雲) and a bodhi tree, which was the tree under which Gautama Buddha claimed to have found spiritual enlightenment. [6] Another symbol included on this coin charm is a horse located right of the square center hole which symbolises the Mongols whose culture is strongly associated with the horse, the Mongol Yuan dynasty was overthrown by a rebellion of which Zhu Yuanzhang was a part. Another example of a Hongwu Tongbao charm with a size of 43 millimeters in diameter and weighs 29.2 grams depicts a less detailed scene where the reverse features a little boy playing a flute riding either an ox or a water buffalo, [7] in this case the young boy represents Zhu Yuanzhang (or Emperor Taizu) in his youth while the flute he is playing is a symbol associated with a care free life while it's also both a Buddhist and a Taoist symbol. In Taoism the flute is associated with the immortal Lan Caihe while in Buddhism it's used in meditation which alludes to Zhu Yuanzhang's life in a Buddhist monastery. [8] [9] [10] Meanwhile, not all larger Hongwu Tongbao charms feature more complex scenery as there is an example which only features an ox or water buffalo on the reverse alluding to the humble beginnings of the first Ming dynasty emperor. [11] [12]

Ming dynasty cloisonné charms

Ming dynasty cloisonné charms (Traditional Chinese: 明代景泰藍花錢; Simplified Chinese: 明代景泰蓝花钱; Pinyin: míng dài jǐng tài lán huā qián) are extremely scarce Chinese numismatic charms made from cloisonné rather than brass or bronze. A known cloisonné charm from the Ming dynasty has the inscription nā mó ē mí tuó fó (南無阿彌陀佛, "I put my trust in Amitābha Buddha"), with various coloured lotus blossoms between the Hanzi characters. Each colour represents something different while the white lotus symbolises the earth's womb from which everything is born and was the symbol of the Ming dynasty. Another known Ming dynasty era cloisonné charm has the inscription wàn lì nián zhì (萬歷年制, "Made during the [reign] of Wan Li") and the eight Buddhist treasure symbols impressed between the Hanzi characters. These treasure symbols are the umbrella, the conch shell, the flaming wheel, the endless knot, a pair of fish, the treasure vase, [lower-alpha 1] the lotus, and the Victory Banner. [13] [14] [15] [16] Cloisonné charms produced after the Ming dynasty (particularly those from the Qing dynasty) often have flower patterns. [17]

Chinese Buddhist charms with Sanskrit inscriptions

During the Ming dynasty Chinese numismatic charms with Sanskrit inscriptions began to appear. Due to the uncommon calligraphy of these charms it is not known if it reads A mi tuo fo or the six-syllable Sanskrit mantra "om mani padme hum" (唵嘛呢叭咪吽). [18]

Japanese Buddhist coin charms

Japanese numismatic Buddhist charms are Buddhist charms often shaped like cash coins and bear inscriptions asking various figures from the Buddhist faith for blessings or protection, these inscriptions typically have a legend like "大佛鐮倉" ("(The) Great Buddha of Kamakura"). [19] The Buddhist "且空藏棄" Japanese numismatic charm cast during the years 1736–1740 in Japan during the Tokugawa shogunate dedicated to the Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva based on one of the favourite mantras of Kūkai is frequently found in China. Ākāśagarbha one of the 8 immortals who attempts to free people from the cycle of reincarnation with compassion. [3] These coins were brought to China in large numbers by Japanese Buddhist monks, another Japanese Buddhist charm frequently found in China has the inscription "南無阿彌陀佛" ("I put my trust in (the) Amitābha Buddha"). [3]

Bodhidharma holding a Wu Zhu cash coin

There is a variant Daruma doll which features Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, holding a Northern Wei dynasty period Taihe Wuzhu (太和五銖, tài hé wǔ zhū) cash coin. [20]

This numismatic variant of the Daruma doll features a number of differences from standard Daruma dolls, namely the fact that in this version Bodhidharma has visible fingers, this is because Daruma dolls typically don't have any limbs as according to a Japanese legend lost his limbs to atrophy after meditating in a cave for 9 years. [20] The presence of the Taihe Wuzhu cash coin on this datums doll is akin to the Chinese proverb "one’s eyes grow round with delight at the sight of money" (traditional Chinese:見錢眼開; simplified Chinese:见钱眼开; pinyin:Jiàn qián yǎn kāi), an expression that was first recorded in the work Jin Ping Mei . This is because the doll depicts Bodhidharma firmly clutching the coin. [20]

"Finally, we should not forget that Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who renounced the world, lived a very austere life in a cave, and spent a lifetime seeking true reality. Over the centuries, Daruma’s legacy in Japan has evolved to the point where dolls are made in his image to serve as good luck charms and coin banks. While the Japanese daruma dolls are very cute and symbolize perseverance, good luck and prosperity, the idea of associating the founder of Chan (Zen) Buddhism with something as secular and mundane as money is not consistent with his teachings."

- Gary Ashkenazy (加里·阿什凱納齊), Bodhidharma Holding a Wu Zhu Coin (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). [20]

The presence of a Taihe Wuzhu cash coin in this amulet is historically accurate as Bodhidharma lived in the territory of the Northern Wei around the time that the coin circulated in the Northern Wei dynasty capital city of Louyang and its surrounding areas. [20]

Vietnamese Buddhist coin charms

Like with Chinese numismatic Buddhist charms there are Vietnamese numismatic Buddhist charms that contain Sanskrit inscriptions, however some of these Buddhist amulets from Vietnam contain only Sanskrit syllables associated with certain sounds but without meaning, these meaningless inscriptions were presumably borrowed from Chinese monks who used them as religious iconography. [21]

Vietnamese amulets with pseudo-Sanskrit inscriptions

There are Vietnamese amulets that contain the Buddhist prayer "Om mani padme hum" (ॐ मणिपद्मे हूँ), or Án ma ni bát mê hồng (唵嘛呢叭咪吽), written in Devanagari script. [22] This is chanting phrase used by Tibetan monks and has been adapted by other Buddhists in East Asia. [22] In Buddhist schools of meditation the single syllable "Om" (ॐ) in this prayer is used as a focal point to help quiet the mind. [22] These six syllables are said to purify the six realms. [22] Many of these amulets have their inscriptions written in Devanagari is because many of the oldest Buddhist texts were written in Sanskrit later and Pali and many Chinese Buddhist monks studied Sanskrit to better understand these texts. [22] Furthermore, Buddhist monks in Vietnam study Chinese languages to help understand these same texts. [22] Thus there is a fusion of knowledge of both the Sanskrit and the Chinese language which influenced these amulets to both contain a form of pseudo-Devanagari and Chinese script. [22]

Buddhist symbolism on open-work charms

Fenghuang

Open-work charms depicting fenghuang are much less commonly seen than those that depict Chinese dragons. Fenghuang in Chinese mythology are symbols of "peace" and "joy", as fenghuang are seen as a symbol of yin they tend to have tail feathers in even numbers (as even numbers represent yin while odd numbers represent yang). [23] [24] [25] Open-work charms that display fenghuang also tend to be on the larger side (for example 58 millimeters in diameter) and also being both thick and heavy. [23] In Buddhism the fenghuang is considered to be a symbol of goodness because it eats no living thing, for this reason open-work charms depicting fenghuang were commonly worn by Buddhists. [26]

Lotus

Open-work charms that feature the design of a lotus [27] according to Buddhist tradition symbolise a detachment from worldly cares due to the manner the flower which is perceived to be beautiful to emerge from the pond's muck. [23] Due to the fact that the lotus flower has two different names in Mandarin Chinese, namely "蓮花" (lián huā) and "荷花" (hé huā), the first character of the former can be used as a homophonic pun with the word "continuous" (連, lián) while the latter could be used to represent the word "harmony" (和, hé) creating a visual pun for "continuous harmony" (連和, lián hé). [23]

Variants of these lotus charms that depict a lotus pod filled with seeds could also be worn in the hopes that they will improve fertility as the Mandarin Chinese word for "lotus seed" (蓮籽, lián zǐ) could be used as a metaphor for the "continuous birth of children" (連子, lián zi). [23]

Yuan dynasty era Buddhist temple coins

Gong Yang Qian (simplified Chinese:供养钱; traditional Chinese:供養錢; pinyin:gōng yǎng qián), variously translated as "temple coins" or "offering coins", were a type of alternative currency that resembled Chinese cash coins that circulated during the Mongol Yuan dynasty period. [28] [4] The Yuan dynasty emperors (or khagans ) were supports of Buddhism, which meant that the Buddhist temples tended to receive official government support. [28] [4]  During this period the larger Buddhist temples in China were able to cast bronze Buddha statues and make other religious artifacts which also meant that it was easy for them to also cast these special kind of cash coins which could then be used by faithful adherents of Buddhism as offerings to Buddha. [28] [4]  In general, these temple coins tend to be much smaller and crudely made compared to earlier and later Chinese cash coins. [28] [4]  However, because these temple coins, due to their copper content, still had intrinsic value, they would sometimes serve as an alternative currency in China, this would particularly happen during difficult economic times when the Jiaochao paper money issued by the Mongol government was no longer considered to be of any value. [28] [4]

Zhouyuan Tongbao charms

A Zhouyuan Tongbao charm (Zhou Yuan Tong Bao Hua Qian ) depicting a Buddhist monk on its reverse. Zhouyuan Tongbao charms (Zhou Yuan Tong Bao Hua Qian ) - Scott Semans 11.jpg
A Zhouyuan Tongbao charm (周元通寶花錢) depicting a Buddhist monk on its reverse.

Zhouyuan Tongbao (Traditional Chinese: 周元通寶; Vietnamese: Châu Nguyên Thông Bảo) charms are a common category of Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhist coin charms that are based on cash coins were issued by Emperor Shi Zong from the year 955 onwards. The pattern is also based on the Kai Yuan coin. They were cast from melted-down bronze statues from Buddhist temples. [29] When reproached for this, the Emperor uttered a cryptic remark to the effect that the Buddha would not mind this sacrifice. [29] It is said that the Emperor himself supervised the casting at the many large furnaces at the back of the palace. [29] The coins have amuletic properties because they were made from Buddhist statues, and are particularly effective in midwifery – hence the many later-made imitations. [29] [30]

List of Buddhist coin charm variants

List of Buddhist coin charm inscriptions and themes: [31]

List of Buddhist coin charm inscriptions
Transliteration Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Literal English translation Meaning Image
A Mi Tuo Fo
Ci bei fang cun [3] 		阿彌陀佛
慈悲方寸		阿弥陀佛
慈悲方寸		"Amitābha Buddha"
"Compassionate heart"		Amitābha Buddha
A Mi Tuo Fo
Bo luo jie di [3] 		阿彌陀佛
波羅揭諦		阿弥陀佛
波罗揭谛		"Amitābha Buddha"
"Gone beyond"		Amitābha Buddha
A part of the Heart Sūtra [lower-alpha 2]
Nan Wu A Mi Tuo Fo [3] 南無阿彌陀佛南无阿弥陀佛"To trust in the Amitābha Buddha"To trust in the Amitābha Buddha [lower-alpha 3]
Hongwu Tongbao [3] 洪武通寶洪武通宝"Hongwu valid currency" See above Hung Wu T'ung Pao charm - John Ferguson 01.jpg
Qie kong zang qi [3] 且空藏棄且空藏弃"Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva"Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva [lower-alpha 4]
Cibei Fangcun [31] 慈悲方寸慈悲方寸"Compassionate heart."A reference to the Heart Sutra
Tongxin Heyi [31] 同心合意同心合意"Of one mind." Inner peace.
Shende Xin'an [31] 身德心安身德心安"A virtuous character and peaceful mind."Inner peace.
Xin'an Shenjian心安身健心安身健"Peaceful mind and healthy body."Inner peace and good health.

Notes

  1. ↑ Also known as "the urn of wisdom".
  2. ↑ The reverse inscription on these Buddhist coin charms reads bo luo jie di (波羅揭諦, bō luó jiē dì) and is part of the mantra found at the very end of the Buddhist Heart Sūtra . A Buddhist mantra consists of words that are meant to be spoken aloud by a follower of the religion. [3]  The Chinese is actually a transliterated a version of the Tibetan pronunciation of this mantra on these old Yuan dynasty era temple coins because the Tibetan pronunciation is considered to more closely approximate the sound of the original Sanskrit mantra. [3] The inscription is taken from this part of the mantra: 揭諦揭諦波羅揭諦, which is jie di jie di bo luo jie di in Mandarin Chinese and ga te ga te pa ra ga te in the original Sanskrit. [3] The "pa ra ga te" (paragate) translates into the English language as "gone beyond", which in this religious context means in the progressive path to the perfection of spiritual wisdom and the attainment of spiritual enlightenment, it is necessary for one in order to attain this to have "gone beyond". [3]
  3. ↑ The first two Hanzi characters "南無" (nan wu) of this Buddhist coin charm are in actuality a transliteration of the Sanskrit word namah which translates into the English language as "to trust in". [3] When these two Chinese characters are used in this manner and in this specific context the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation should actually be na mo rather than nan wu. [3] Making the full "南無阿彌陀佛" inscription into nā mó ē mí tuó fó.
  4. ↑ "Qie kong zang qi" in this context refers to the Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva known in Japan as Kokūzō Bosatsu (且空藏棄). [3] In China, the Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva (Buddha) is known by the name of "Xu kong zang fo" (虚空藏佛). [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Later Zhou</span> Chinese ruling dynasty from 951 to 960

Zhou, known as the Later Zhou in historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty and the last of the Five Dynasties that controlled most of northern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Founded by Guo Wei, it was preceded by the Later Han dynasty and succeeded by the Northern Song dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cash (Chinese coin)</span> Chinese coin

The cash or qian was a type of coin of China and the Sinosphere, used from the 4th century BC until the 20th century AD, characterised by their round outer shape and a square center hole. Originally cast during the Warring States period, these coins continued to be used for the entirety of Imperial China. The last Chinese cash coins were cast in the first year of the Republic of China. Generally most cash coins were made from copper or bronze alloys, with iron, lead, and zinc coins occasionally used less often throughout Chinese history. Rare silver and gold cash coins were also produced. During most of their production, cash coins were cast, but during the late Qing dynasty, machine-struck cash coins began to be made. As the cash coins produced over Chinese history were similar, thousand year old cash coins produced during the Northern Song dynasty continued to circulate as valid currency well into the early twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese numismatic charm</span> Decorative coins used for rituals

Yansheng Coins, commonly known as Chinese numismatic charms, refer to a collection of special decorative coins that are mainly used for rituals such as fortune telling, Chinese superstitions, and Feng shui. They originated during the Western Han dynasty as a variant of the contemporary Ban Liang and Wu Zhu cash coins. Over the centuries they evolved into their own commodity, with many different shapes and sizes. Their use was revitalized during the Republic of China era. Normally, these coins are privately funded and cast by a rich family for their own ceremonies, although a few types of coins have been cast by various governments or religious orders over the centuries. Chinese numismatic charms typically contain hidden symbolism and visual puns. Unlike cash coins which usually only contain two or four Hanzi characters on one side, Chinese numismatic charms often contain more characters and sometimes pictures on the same side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaiyuan Tongbao</span> Historical Chinese currency

The Kaiyuan Tongbao, sometimes romanised as Kai Yuan Tong Bao or using the archaic Wade-Giles spelling K'ai Yuan T'ung Pao, was a Tang dynasty cash coin that was produced from 621 under the reign of Emperor Gaozu and remained in production for most of the Tang dynasty until 907. The Kaiyuan Tongbao was notably the first cash coin to use the inscription tōng bǎo (通寶) and an era title as opposed to have an inscription based on the weight of the coin as was the case with Ban Liang, Wu Zhu and many other earlier types of Chinese cash coins. The Kaiyuan Tongbao's calligraphy and inscription inspired subsequent Central Asian, Japanese, Korean, Ryūkyūan, and Vietnamese cash coins and became the standard until the last cash coin to use the inscription "通寶" was cast until the early 1940s in French Indochina.

Korean numismatic charms, also known as Korean amulets, Korean talismans, or simply Korean charms, refer to a family of cash coin-like and other numismatic inspired types of charms that like the Japanese and Vietnamese variants are derived from Chinese numismatic charms, but have evolved around the customs of the Korean culture although most of these charms resemble Korean cash coins and the amulet coins of China, they contain their own categories unique to Korea. There are approximately 500 different known variants of Korean numismatic charms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese numismatic charm</span>

Japanese numismatic charms, also known as Japanese amulets, Japanese talismans, or simply Japanese charms, refer to a family of cash coin-like and other numismatic inspired types of charms that like the Korean and Vietnamese variants are derived from Chinese numismatic charms, but have evolved around the customs of the Japanese culture. Although most of these charms resemble Japanese cash coins and the amulet coins of China, they contain their own categories unique to Japan. In the case of these coins, "charm" in this context is a catchall term for coin-shaped items which were not official money. However, these numismatic objects were not all necessarily considered "magical" or "lucky", as some of these Chinese numismatic charms can be used as "mnemonic coins".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnamese numismatic charm</span>

Vietnamese numismatic charms, also known as Vietnamese amulets, Vietnamese talismans, or simply Vietnamese charms, refer to a family of cash coin-like and other numismatic inspired types of charms that like the Japanese and Korean variants are derived from Chinese numismatic charms, but have evolved around the customs of the Vietnamese culture although most of these charms resemble Vietnamese cash coins and the amulet coins of China. These "coins" were used at temples, as tokens within the imperial palace, and as everyday charms with supposed magical power such as having the ability to curse evil spirits and bogies. Some of these charms contained the inscriptions of real circulating cash coins but with added imagery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhengde Tongbao</span>

The Zhengde Tongbao is a fantasy cash coin, Chinese, and Vietnamese numismatic charm bearing an inscription based on the reign title of the Zhengde Emperor of the Ming dynasty. The Zhengde Emperor reigned from the year 1505 until 1521, however during this period no circulating cash coins were minted. There were a large amount "cash coins" bearing the Zhengde era name are minted from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty periods as superstitious "lucky coins" with auspicious depictions and instructions, as this inscription remained popular for charms modern reproductions of the Zhengde Tongbao are also very common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lock charm</span>

Lock charms are Chinese numismatic charms shaped like ancient Chinese security locks. Their shape resembles a basket or in most cases the Chinese character for "concave" (凹). The pendants tend to be flat, without any moving parts, or the functionality of the locks they symbolize. They are decorated with both Chinese characters and symbols. Like other types of Chinese numismatic charms, lock charms are meant to protect the wearers from harm, misfortune, and evil spirits, and to bless them with good luck, longevity, and a high rank. In particular, this talisman is meant for young boys, to help "lock" them to the earth, to guard them from death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open-work charm</span>

Open-work charms are a type of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese numismatic charms characterised by irregularly shaped "holes" or "openings" between their design elements known as openwork. The design of the amulets represent yin while the holes represent yang and their general purpose was to attract good fortune and ward off evil spirits and misfortune. Unlike most other types of Chinese numismatic charms which usually tend to have square center holes if they’re holed, open-work charms tend to almost exclusively have round center holes though open-work charms with square center holes are known to exist and certain thematic open-work charms that feature human-made constructions mostly told to have square holes. Another distinctive feature of open-work charms is that they’re almost purely based on illustrative imagery and only a small minority of them contain legends written in Hanzi characters. While most other forms of Chinese numismatic charms are made from brass open-work charms are predominantly made from bronze.

<i>Hongwu Tongbao</i> First cash coin to bear the name of a Ming Emperor

The Hongwu Tongbao was the first cash coin to bear the reign name of a reigning Ming dynasty Emperor bearing the reign title of the Hongwu Emperor. Hongwu Tongbao cash coins officially replaced the earlier Dazhong Tongbao coins, however the production of the latter did not cease after the Hongwu Tongbao was introduced. The government of the Ming dynasty placed a greater reliance on copper cash coins than the Yuan dynasty ever did, but despite this reliance a nationwide copper shortage caused the production of Hongwu Tongbao cash coins to cease several times eventually leading to their discontinuation in 1393 when they were completely phased out in favour of paper money. In the year 1393 there were a total of 325 furnaces in operation in all provincial mints of China which had an annual output of 189,000 strings of cash coins which was merely 3% of the average annual production during the Northern Song dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kangxi Tongbao</span>

Kangxi Tongbao refers to an inscription used on Chinese cash coins produced during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty. Under the Kangxi Emperor the weights and standards of the brass cash coins changed several times and the bimetallic system of Qing dynasty coinage was established. Today Kangxi Tongbao cash coins are commonly used as charms and amulets where different forms of superstition have developed arounds its mint marks and calligraphy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qianlong Tongbao</span>

Qianlong Tongbao is an inscription used on cash coins produced under the reign of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty. Initially the Qianlong Tongbao cash coins were equal to its predecessors in their weight and quality but as expensive military expenditures such as the Ten Great Campaigns began to take their financial toll on the government of the Qing dynasty the quality of these cash coins started to steadily decrease. The weight of the Qianlong Tongbao was changed several times and tin was added to their alloy to both reduce costs and to prevent people from melting down the coins to make utensils. As the intrinsic value of these coins was higher than their nominal value many provincial mints started reporting annual losses and were forced to close down, meanwhile the copper content of the coinage continued to be lowered while the copper mines of China were depleting. The Qianlong era also saw the conquest of Xinjiang and the introduction of cash coins to this new region of the Qing Empire.

Confucian coin charms are a category of Chinese and Vietnamese numismatic charms that incorporate messages from Confucian philosophy into their inscriptions. Generally these amulets resemble Chinese cash coins but contain messages of the traditions, rituals, and moral code of Confucianism, such as the idea of "filial piety" (孝) and the Confucian ideals of "righteousness" (義). During the 19th century these Confucian messages were also featured on a number of 1 mạch Vietnamese cash coins during the Nguyễn dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taoist coin charm</span> Chinese and Vietnamese numismatic charms

Taoist coin charms, or Daoist coin charms are a family of categories of Chinese and Vietnamese numismatic charms that incorporate elements of the Taoist religion. Taoist coin charms come in various shapes, sizes, and formats and can contain inscriptions or wholly pictorial designs. While a large number of Taoist coin charms have their inscriptions written in traditional Chinese characters, a subset of Taoist coin charms have inscriptions written in Taoist "magic" writing. In these countries similar numismatic charms existed for Buddhist and Confucianism, and at times Taoist coin charms would also incorporate symbolism from these other religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhiqian</span>

Standard cash, or regulation cash coins, is a term used during the Ming and Qing dynasties of China to refer to standard issue copper-alloy cash coins produced in imperial Chinese mints according to weight and composition standards that were fixed by the imperial government. The term was first used for Hongwu Tongbao cash coins following the abolition of large denomination versions of this cash coin series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cash coins in art</span> Art motif based on coins with a square centre hole

Cash coins are a type of historical Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Ryukyuan, and Vietnamese coin design that was the main basic design for the Chinese cash, Japanese mon, Korean mun, Ryukyuan mon, and Vietnamese văn currencies. The cash coin became the main standard currency of China in 221 BC with the Ban Liang (半兩) and would be produced until 1912 AD there with the Minguo Tongbao (民國通寶), the last series of cash coins produced in the world were the French Indochinese Bảo Đại Thông Bảo (保大通寶) during the 1940s. Cash coins are round coins with a square centre hole. It is commonly believed that the early round coins of the Warring States period resembled the ancient jade circles (璧環) which symbolised the supposed round shape of the sky, while the centre hole in this analogy is said to represent the planet earth (天圓地方). The body of these early round coins was called their "flesh" (肉) and the central hole was known as "the good" (好).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marriage coin charm</span>

Marriage coin charms are a category of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese numismatic charms that depict marriage, harmonious, and/or sexual imagery. These coin charms often imitate the design of Chinese cash coins, but can exist in many different shapes and sizes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhouyuan Tongbao</span>

The Zhouyuan Tongbao is a copper-alloy cash coin produced during the reign of Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou dynasty, a historical Chinese state that existed in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The design of the Zhouyuan Tongbao cash coins closely resembles that of the Kaiyuan Tongbao (開元通寳) series produced during the earlier Tang dynasty period. The Zhouyuan Tongbao cash coins were produced from recycled Buddhist statues confiscated from Buddhist temples. For this reason the Zhouyuan Tongbao is commonly referred to as "Arhat money" or as the "money that destroyed Buddha". Nicknames only reserved for a handful of Chinese cash coins, as confiscation of Buddhist statues for coin production only happened around 7 times in Chinese history.

References

  1. ↑ "Chinese Buddhist Charm with Sanskrit Characters". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 3 September 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  2. ↑ 北京翰海拍卖有限公司 Sanskrit charm Archived 2011-10-10 at the Wayback Machine . (in Mandarin Chinese using Simplified Chinese characters)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Buddhist Charms - 佛教品壓勝錢 - Buddhism in China". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Language and Iconography of Chinese Charms - Chapter "Temple coins of the Yuan Dynasty" pp 149-161 Date: 10 December 2016 Temple Coins of the Yuan Dynasty. Vladimir A. Belyaev , Sergey V. Sidorovich. Retrieved = 14 June 2017.
  5. ↑ Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia Buddhist Symbols. Retrieved: 12 May 2018.
  6. ↑ Boeree, C George. "An Introduction to Buddhism". Shippensburg University. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  7. ↑ Invaluable - Lot 149: PAIR HONGWU TONGBAO MARK RING-SHAPED COINS - Empire Auction House - May 27, 2017 - Boston, MA, US. Retrieved: 27 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "Chinese Charms with Coin Inscriptions – 錢文錢。". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Fang, Alex Chengyu - Chinese Charms: Art, Religion and Folk Belief (2008)
  10. ↑ Cribb, Joseph - Chinese Coin Shaped Charms (1986).
  11. ↑ Sportstune.com – Section 1.81: "Charms with coin inscriptions: Hung Wu T'ung Pao" by John Ferguson. Retrieved: 23 August 2018.
  12. ↑ Edgar J.Mandel. Metal Charms and Amulets of China.
  13. ↑ "Ming Dynasty Cloisonne Charm". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 23 November 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  14. ↑ ReligionFacts - Just the facts on religion. Buddhist Conch Shell Symbol. (Sanskrit: shankha; Tibetan: dung dkar) Retrieved: 15 May 2018.
  15. ↑ ReligionFacts - Just the facts on religion. Victory Banner Symbol. Retrieved: 15 May 2018.
  16. ↑ Johnson, Ken (17 February 2011). "When Enamel Wares Adorned China's Imperial Courts". Ken Johnson (for The New York Times). Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  17. ↑ ChinaZeug.de Email-Amulett (Schmuck) in Cloisonnétechnik (Alte and Antike Chinesische amuletten (charms)) by Yi and Ralf Thomann. Retrieved: 7 August 2018. (in German)
  18. ↑ “Chinese Charms” (壓勝錢編) January, 2013 - “Great Dictionary of China Numismatics” (中國錢幣大辭典) 995-page volume (in Mandarin Chinese). Page 556.
  19. ↑ "Japanese Charm of the "Great Buddha of Kamakura"". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 1 July 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bodhidharma Holding a Wu Zhu Coin". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 1 March 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  21. ↑ "Amulette bouddhique vietnamienne (Vietnamese bouddhist charm) § Amulette vietnamienne en sanscrit". François Thierry de Crussol (TransAsiart) (in French). 14 September 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Greenbaum 2006, p. 59.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chinese Open Work Charms - 鏤空錢 - "Hollowed Out" Money". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  24. ↑ Sportstune (Chinese charms) Chinese charms, section 8. 8. OPEN WORK CHARMS. 8.1 Geometric designs. 8.2 Plants and flowers. 8.3 Dragons. 8.4 Dragon and Phoenix. 8.5 Phoenix or birds. 8.6 Deer or other animals. 8.7 Fish. 8.8 Human figures. 8.9 Buildings. Retrieved: 02 May 2018.
  25. ↑ LIU Chunsheng, Zhongguo gudai loukong huaqian kianshang (Beijing: Zuojia chubanshe, 2005) ISBN   7-5063-3237-X // 刘春声著：《中国古代镂空花钱鉴赏》， 北京：作家出版社，2005年。(in Mandarin Chinese using Simplified Chinese characters).
  26. ↑ Semans, Scott. The Compendium. p. 6.
  27. ↑ ChinaZeug.de - Amulett in Durchbruchtechnik - Beidseitig : Vier Lotusblüten by Dr. Yi and Ralf Thomann. Retrieved: 09 August 2018. (in German)
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chinese coins – 中國錢幣". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  29. 1 2 3 4 Hartill 2005, p. 113–114.
  30. ↑ François Thierry de Crussol (蒂埃里) (2 March 2000). "Large Zhou Yuan Tong Bao coin". Charm.ru (Chinese Coinage Web Site). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  31. 1 2 3 4 "Chinese Charm Inscriptions". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2020.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.